Dawn Rose

Dawn Rose is a Lecturer at the Lucerne School of Music, part of Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) in Switzerland. Her primary academic focus is music psychology with specialties in music’s role in health and wellbeing. She holds adjunct roles as External Examiner for WaterBear College of Music (Falmouth University, UK) and is affiliated with organizations including the Swiss Society for Music Medicine and the International Judo Research Unit (iDojo).

Education: Rose holds a PhD and MSc in Music, Mind and Brain from Goldsmiths, University of London, supervised by Prof. Pam Heaton. Her doctoral work explored musical development in children and adults. Prior to academia, she was a professional drummer and taught at BIMM (British & Irish Modern Music Institute).

Research: Her work bridges music psychology and healthcare, focusing on Parkinson’s disease management through rhythmic interventions and musician wellbeing. Key projects include the Songlines for Parkinson’s co-developed intervention and studies on room acoustics’ effects on musicians. She also investigates music’s role in movement synchronization and imagery use among Parkinson’s patients.

Awards & Grants: Notable recognition includes AGORA Grants (2023), Parkinson Schweiz funding (2021), and multiple travel/engagement awards from Goldsmiths and the Wellcome Trust.

Labs & Teams: Leads the CC Music Performance Research group at HSLU and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams in Switzerland and internationally. Active in public dissemination through BBC documentaries and science festivals, including a featured role in the 'Meltdown Festival' Power of Music discussion.